As Vancouver voters choose a city council on Oct. 17 and the province holds an election on Oct. 24, small business owners say they are struggling with rising costs and construction-related disruptions.
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Vancouver voters are scheduled to elect a city council on Oct. 17, with a provincial election set for Oct. 24, and small business owners raising concerns about rising costs, construction disruptions and bureaucratic delays say government action is needed.
Parmjot Gill, who bought the 43-year-old Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium in April, said he was frustrated on Sept. 14 when city workers closed street traffic lanes and sidewalks on Davie Street outside his store “with no advance notice,” forcing customers to detour through an alley while he pushed for access to be restored.
Gill said his business had been profitable since he purchased it, but that he expected to lose a “five-digit” amount in September. He asked the city for property tax relief tied to the street disruption, noting his property tax bill is close to $100,000 annually and that he prepaid six months of it.
Gill also called for a published construction schedule and coordination so both sides of Davie Street are not closed simultaneously, along with direct financial grants for affected businesses, and said he is pressing candidates in the upcoming municipal election for concrete commitments.
Other merchants raising similar concerns include businesses along Broadway between Main Street and Arbutus Street tied to the Broadway subway project.
B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said in April there is no precedent in Canada for governments to compensate business owners for infrastructure projects, and he told that while there are “potential options” being reviewed, the priority was getting the work done quickly.
Fable Diner & Bar Ltd. owner Ron MacGillivray said he closed a 10-year-old East Broadway restaurant at 151 East Broadway on Aug. 23 and later shut down a second location, Fable Kitchen at 1944 West Fourth Ave., on Sept. 20 after years of urging civic and provincial governments for some form of financial help.
MacGillivray said he sold his house and is renting, using that money to stay afloat, adding that he downsized as a result.
Reckless Bike Stores owner Paul Dragan said his store at 1810 Fir Street closed permanently on Sept. 30, leaving him with one location at 110 Davie Street, and he described the past two to three years as “very tough” for bike stores, with “at least a half dozen” closures.
Dragan attributed part of the problem to city policies and bureaucracy, including fees associated with street-side signage and a process that requires business owners to pay first before retrieving items and to pick them up within limited hours.
He also said city business licence fees have risen since a prior annual fee of $68 to $255, with annual increases of about $15 since then, and he described rising costs for other items as well, including a municipal delivery truck decal that he said went from $25 per year to $110 this year.
Dragan said the city has approved a 2026 operating budget featuring no property tax increase for residents in 2026, but that the city has been “making up for that with these user fees,” and he raised concerns that labour costs and other provincial measures have increased business expenses.
He pointed to B.C.’s minimum wage schedule, saying the wage rose on June 1 to $18.25, and to the introduction of at least five sick days per year under Employment Standards Act requirements that he said began in 2022.
Dragan said he is also concerned about WorkSafeBC looking into broadening coverage for different injuries or mental health situations, which he said could increase costs and premiums.
He added that Premier David Eby called the provincial election for Oct. 24 on Sept. 22, and that Elections BC said it would not estimate the cost of the election, while citing that the 2024 provincial election cost $91 million.
Retail Council of Canada government relations director of government relations Greg Wilson said he wants government action rather than a pause on a plan to expand PST to certain business expenses, after B.C. announced it would delay that expansion until after what it described as “Trump’s disastrous trade war” ends, and he said a pause right before an election signals it could return afterward.
Wilson said the number one change small business owners want is “Lower my property taxes,” noting the city’s website describes a bundled business property tax rate of about $12.47 per $1,000 of taxable value, which he said is up nearly 12 per cent compared with 2025.
Wilson also criticized permitting timelines, saying retailers face long wait times for permits to open or remodel retail stores and that he has heard that permitting times can vary by location, with “no progress” for ordinary retail upgrades.
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